Jay-Z
Photo: WireImage

For the third time in four years, Jay-Z has been crowned the "Hip-Hop Cash King" by Forbes. The Brooklyn lyricist topped the business magazine's annual ranking of high-rolling hip-hop stars by earning $63 million over the past 12 months, thanks to business ventures like a high-grossing tour, real estate investments and the successful Broadway production "Fela!"

Jay-Z's income more than doubled the total brought home by 2010 runner-up Diddy, who clocked in at #2 on the list with $30 million earned thanks to endorsement deals and roles in films like "Get Him to the Greek."

Akon came in third, earning $21 million from endorsement deals and his signing of Lady Gaga to his Interscope-backed label KonLive.

Lil Wayne landed at the #4 spot with $20 million in earnings, most of which came through touring; the rapper's tours last year, I Am Music and America's Most Wanted, were the biggest hip-hop outings of 2009.

Dr. Dre came in at #5, earning $17 million through a combination of album royalties from his past projects, executive producing a pair of Eminem releases and income from his headphone line Beats by Dre.

Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, Pharrell and Kanye West rounded out the top 10.

Jay-Z has topped the Forbes list every year since its 2007 inception with one exception; in 2008, 50 Cent came in at #1 when the magazine estimated his income at more than $150 million.

The G-Unit boss came in at a distant #14 this year, and he was tied with his mentor Eminem; both multi-platinum superstars raked in $8 million.

Drake was among those making their debut on the list, ranking #11.

• Jay-Z
• Diddy
• Akon
• Lil Wayne
• Dr. Dre

Justin Bieber performs at Wango Tango 2010
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

KIIS-FM's annual Wango Tango festival stormed Los Angeles' Staples Center on Saturday night. While the energy was massive inside the sold-out arena — with a bill that included Usher, Justin Bieber, Ludacris, Ke$ha, Akon, Adam Lambert and David Guetta — it was equally buzzing backstage with artists and entourages mixing it up.

Maybe they enjoyed themselves a little too much, as Ke$ha joked that she had already made out with glam-man Adam Lambert by the time she made it to our interview. She was also looking forward to corrupting pint-sized popster Bieber. No doubt she was excited to take part in the show, which has become an institution in the music industry and a signal that artists have made it.

"I'm gonna treat it like a big fun summer dance party," Ke$ha told MTV News. "But I have to say, it's an honor [to perform] and I'm a little nervous."

Sharing that excitement was Wango Tango veteran Ludacris, who shouted, "Three-peat! Three-peat!" He continued, "This is my third time doing it, so it feels good to have done it that many times."

While the artists were amped to participate, KIIS-FM DJ and multitasker Ryan Seacrest shared what was really setting the vibe backstage.

"The vibe is 'Where is Justin Bieber?' — that's the vibe," Seacrest said. "All the girls that are hanging out here, even the ones that work for us, are like, 'Have you seen him?' I'm like, 'I'm right here.' They're like, 'No, no. Justin Bieber him.' "

When Bieber took the stage later in the night, he sent the Staples Center into an uproar. He was welcomed onstage by some people who know a thing or two about screaming crowds: Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed and other cast members of the upcoming "Twilight" film "Eclipse."

The 16-year-old Canadian sensation started his seven-song set with "Love Me," an ode to the '90s greatness of the Cardigans' "Lovefool." Bieber, wearing a gray military jacket and a set of dog tags around his neck, followed with "One Less Lonely Girl." To the envy of every teen girl in the crowd, Justin serenaded a lucky female fan onstage and handed her a bouquet of flowers, giving her a big hug at the end.

Next up in Bieber's arsenal were "Somebody to Love," "U Smile" and "One Time." Then, in one of the most impressive performances of the night, Bieber sang and danced along to Michael Jackson's classic "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " while his dancers took turns doing freestyle dance moves. Backed by a live band, the medley then shifted into Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Bieber proclaimed, "Put your rock stars in the air!" and the crowd raised their hands up in the famous devil horns gesture.

During the cover, bandmembers took turns doing solos, ending with Justin on the drums playing a solo of his own. If the crowd hadn't gotten enough, Justin closed his set with "Baby," the biggest sing-along of the night. Ludacris quickly followed Bieber with a slew of hits, including "Stand Up," "What's Your Fantasy" and "My Chick Bad." British singer Taio Cruz joined Luda onstage for their current hit "Break Your Heart."

From one Atlanta artist to another, Usher followed up Luda's set with a nearly hour-long performance that spanned his entire catalogue. Usher worked hard all night, dancing and sweating through his set. Most impressive, though, was his voice, which wasn't aided by a backing track.

The Raymond v. Raymond singer tore through early favorites like "Caught Up," "You Make Me Wanna" and "U Remind Me." But when Usher went all the way back to "My Way," things really heated up. He pulled off some suggestive crotch grabs reminiscent of his idol Michael Jackson before getting down on the ground with a mic stand and doing things that would make Justin Bieber blush.

The crowd ate it up. "Love in This Club" and "Lil Freak" made the temperature rise so much that Usher had to rip off his vest, apparently forgetting that his headset mic was wired through it. He had to take a moment to unplug, the only hiccup of the night. No need to worry, the Staples Center was with him. He closed the night with "Yeah!" and current hit "OMG," while a shower of confetti rained down on the sweaty masses.

• Wango Tango 2010

• Justin Bieber
• Usher
• Ludacris
• Ke$ha
• Akon

Akon and Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

While Lady Gaga has been touring across the globe and gearing up to shoot a video for her single "Alejandro," she's also found time to record tracks for her next album. Her label boss, Akon, has already heard some of the Fame Monster follow-up, and he says it is out of this world.

"She records while she's on the road," Akon told Vibe.com. "I'm flying out to Europe to work on some new records with her. Gaga's just like me. She has a tour bus with a studio in it. Some of the songs I've heard are going to be crazy. She's getting bigger and better."

Although a release date, title and other details have yet to be revealed, Akon knows that she's working hard and doesn't need much advice from him.

"All I'm doing at the end of the day is listening to the tracks Gaga has written and approving them for her album. She has producers that she works with outside of myself and they are coming up with some incredible records," he explained. "But the beauty of it is she knows exactly what she wants. So it just makes it easier for me."

Frequent Gaga collaborator RedOne told MTV News that he and the singer still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves but wouldn't be specific. "That I don't want to say, because you always want to shock people," he said. "And you don't want to let people know, so that when they hear it, [they go], 'Oh my God.' "

And after winning a pair of Grammys with Gaga this year, RedOne promised more successes to come. "We're just gonna rock again," he said. "When me and Gaga get together, it's crazy. It's unbelievable."

What do you hope Gaga will do on her next album? Tell us in the comments!

• The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga

• Lady Gaga
• Akon

Quincy Jones and Akon
Photo: MTV News

Akon and Quincy Jones love to crack jokes on each other. On the set of the video for the remake of "Strawberry Letter 23," Kon started the jesting by claiming he'd introduced Jones to a plethora of pretty women.

"You know that's not true," the legendary producer said, prompting a chuckle from Akon. Then, when Kon called the legendary producer "Uncle Q," Jones insisted that the two men were the same age.

Akon is one of many stars to have contributed to the LP Q: Soul Bossa Nostra, which is due sometime this spring or summer. The collection of performers and producers will deliver renditions of some of Jones' greatest hits.

"Timbaland brought the idea," Jones told MTV News of the project. "Three or four years ago, we talked about [it]. Then he said everybody should be involved in this. And one by one, in various ways, it started to be what God wanted it to be. I ran into this brother [Akon] and he picked the song I wanted him to do anyway."

"He was my mentor without even knowing he was my mentor," explained Akon, who last worked with Jones for "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti.". "He was like, 'Look man, I want you to be part of this album. There's no way we can do this album without you being a part of it. I said, 'Can I do "Strawberry Letter 23"?' He said, 'Man, look, that's what I had in mind for you.' He gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do.

"The song, it's more about feeling to me," Kon added. " 'Cause as far as the lyrical content, that's way beyond my generation. I'm still trying to understand everything it meant."

"Strawberry Letter 23," a song by Shuggie Otis, was recorded by the Brothers Johnson for their 1977 album, Right on Time, produced by Jones.

"It is [opaque]. Its imagery ... abstract imagery. It was abstract back then," Jones agreed. "[Akon] did it. Talk about impeccable taste. That's why it's the first single."

Akon loved the song so much, he'd sampled the record at least three or four times prior to meeting Jones. In the video, the singer is seduced by a woman.

"I been shooting all morning," Kon said. "The concept of the video is almost like the concept of the song. It's about receiving a letter, but the letter is scented in a strawberry scent, and it happens to be the 22nd letter or 23rd letter. In the video, I'm receiving it from this beautiful admirer. I go through this fantasy world, this garden, and I'm following her through it. I actually get to meet her."

The roster of artists and producers slated to contribute to the album includes Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Scott Storch, Trey Songz, Robin Thicke, Tevin Campbell, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Ludacris.

What's your favorite Akon collaboration? Let us know in the comments!

• Akon
• Quincy Jones

Akon
Photo: MTV News

For the past two years, David Guetta has been on a house music DJ/producer's dream run. He has had commercial success doing what few of his colleagues in the electronic world have been able to do: He's making club music that has American urban artists biting at his heels, has soared into the U.S. charts with a series of monster singles and, after being nominated in three categories, he walked away with the Grammy for Best Remixed Recording for his single "When Love Takes Over," featuring Kelly Rowland.

One of his most lasting accomplishments was last year's Black Eyed Peas single "I Gotta Feeling," a track he produced that spent 14 weeks at the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 5 million downloads through February of this year.

In addition to Rowland, his album One Love featured notable singles with Estelle ("One Love") and Kid Cudi (the internationally charting "Memories"). And then there is his most successful single as a solo artist, "Sexy Chick" featuring Akon, which peaked in December of last year at #5 and now, months later, is still perched at #20 on the Hot 100 list.

MTV News had a chance to catch up with Akon recently on the set of Quincy Jones' video for his forthcoming album single, "Strawberry Letter 23," where he broke down a bit of Guetta's genius for us.

"He's an incredible DJ, first of all," 'Kon said. "Second, he's an incredible producer. He's the kind of guy that goes outside the box, so we spoke the same language on the production side of things. We just wanted to do something that no one had thought to put together and before you know it, man, we just got together and came up with the most incredible record."

Lately rumors have been swirling that Guetta has produced a song for Rihanna, and that he also recorded with one of Akon's artists, Lady Gaga, but that turned out to have been just a meeting of mutual appreciation. Still, 'Kon did reveal to expect another treat courtesy of the "Sexy Chick" pair on his forthcoming album, Stadium.

"I got some incredible collaborations," Akon said. "I just can't let you know yet. But I can give you a hint: Guetta will be a part of that record as well. It's gonna be ... just wait. I don't want to overhype it. I just want to put it out and let you see."

If you can't wait that long, Guetta will be headlining the Ultra Music Fest at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Also featured at the fest will be Will.I.Am, Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Major Lazer, Calvin Harris, LMFAO, Tiesto, A-Trak and many more.

Stick with MTV News for more coverage of the Winter Music Conference, which kicks off Tuesday in Miami.

• David Guetta
• Akon

Akon and Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Akon is releasing a new album this year, but the singer seems more excited about his Kon Live imprint artist Lady Gaga's success than his own.

"She's pretty much retired me," Akon told The Associated Press. "She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I'm glad I believed in her, boy. That goes to show you, if you believe in something strong enough, it will pay off."

Lady Gaga was initially signed to Def Jam Records, where she was dropped several months later. Then Akon signed her as a free agent as he was finalizing his Kon Live deal with Interscope Records and label head Jimmy Iovine. Fast-forward a few years and Lady Gaga has become an internationally known pop star, winning two awards at the 2010 Grammys: Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face" and Best Electronic/Dance Album for The Fame.

The singer recently swept the Brit Awards in London, where she performed a tribute to recently deceased designer Alexander McQueen and walked away with three awards.

"She just blossomed into a super megastar," said Akon.

As for his own upcoming album, Akon says that in addition to Lady Gaga, he's also working with Dutch dance DJ/producer Chuckie, DJ David Guetta, who recently collaborated with Akon on "Sexy Bitch," and hip-hop heavyweight Dr. Dre.

"You've got some straight hard-core hip-hop guys actually moving into the dance realm," Akon said. "And that's shocking. When you've got someone like Dr. Dre about to do a dance record ... that's crazy."

Akon didn't divulge much about the Dr. Dre collaboration, except to say the record "actually sounds great. He played it for me. I was shocked. So I was like, 'Wow, that's dope. When the world hears this, they might go crazy.' ... When you've got the two worlds mixed together, clashing, it's going to be a monster."

Akon's as-yet-untitled forthcoming CD is slated to hit shelves toward the end of 2010.

• Lady Gaga Stuns At U.K. Tour Kickoff

• Akon
• Lady Gaga

Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

• Lil Wayne
• Quincy Jones
• Mary J. Blige
• Akon

Stars gather for "We Are the World" remake
Photo: Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Grammy-winning producer RedOne has worked with a slew of top artists, including Akon, Shakira, Little Boots, Sean Kingston and, most notably, Lady Gaga. But when he received a phone call from Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, asking him to produce a remake of "We Are the World," he was in complete shock.

"I was like, 'Oh my God!' " RedOne told MTV News at the Henson Studios, where the track was recorded last week. "This is Lionel and Quincy, you know, the fathers of music, of hits, of music, of charity, of everything. It was big. So that night, before I started working on it, I had nightmares about the whole track. 'They didn't like it. Oh, they need a new track.' But, thank God, they loved it."

Twenty-five years after the all-star recording of "We Are the World" was put together to help combat African famine, a new collection of stars came together February 2 to make their new version for victims of the Haiti earthquake. But RedOne was careful not to change up the original version too much. Instead, he opted to keep the song the same but bring a more current sound to it.

"I just keep the class of the original one," RedOne said. "But I didn't want to change any course. I didn't want to mess it up, because it's too good. I tried to keep it on the same level and tried to make it sound more now and current. I kept the whole chord progressions, the feeling and the vibe, but brought fresher sounds that are more now."

Producing the track was relatively easy, RedOne said, considering Richie and Jones had already picked the artists and selected which parts of the song the musicians would sing before bringing the hitmaker onboard.

"Everybody wanted to help," RedOne said about the stars checking their egos at the door. "I remember Jamie Foxx came to me and said, 'Red, don't worry about me. I am here. I can wait. Do your thing. Whenever it is my time, I'll be here. Don't think about it.' So that was a beautiful sign. It wasn't about me as a producer or Quincy as a legend producer or Lionel or any artists. Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Akon, Enrique [Iglesias] — everybody was there. And it was amazing and beautiful."

After a week of fine-tuning the song, RedOne couldn't be happier with the outcome. "'We Are the World' is done, and it sounds incredible and the video is incredible," the producer promised. "So I think the world will be touched by it, and hopefully people will be touched that much to help, because that is the whole purpose for the song.

"It is so easy to forget about them for a little while," Red said of keeping Haiti in people's minds. "But music goes on and on, so all the money that is going to be generated can be for Haiti, and it's a beautiful thing. We try to raise the money to build, like, seven cities and help the children and schools and things, so it's a good thing. I think you are going to love it."

The song, accompanied by the video, is slated to premiere Friday night at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics on NBC. All proceeds will go to the newly formed charity We Are the World Foundation LLC and will then be distributed to Haiti.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

• Behind The Scenes Of 'We Are The World'

• 'We Are The World 25 For Haiti' Recording Session

• Akon
• Lady Gaga

Aventura's Romeo and Akon on the set of "All Up 2 You"
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Dominican Bachata act Aventura have expanded their sound and fanbase beyond the traditional Spanish-speaking crowd by collaborating with a range of artists from rapper Ludacris to pop duo Nina Sky.

But the four-man collective's work with Akon and Wyclef in the past really ignited their creative spirit, according to Aventura frontman Romeo. The singer said working with Akon helped the group evolve their sound, but he emphasized that there's a limit to their expansion.

"Akon and us, we family, it's a mutual respect," Romeo told MTV News. "When I work with artists, I like to not because they're popular, but because there's some sort of connection in what we do. And we've been huge fans of Akon for a while and he tells us that he likes our album, so it kind of makes it easy when we collaborate. Because we're not in the air like, 'What do we do?' It's something natural.

"He wanted to do Bachata; we wanted to do something more urban," he continued about their collaboration, "All Up 2 You," which also features Wisin y Yandel, from their most recent album The Last.

"It's interesting — we had the same situation with Wyclef," Romeo said. "That tells you that they are really familiar with what we do. But we're trying to show people our diversity and that we could do a little bit of urban and what they do. But it was really fun working with Akon and we most likely will be working on tracks [again] in the future."

Although the Bronx-bred Aventura are eager to show off their talent to a broader base, anyone waiting for a complete crossover project shouldn't hold their breath.

Romeo said the group — which recently completed a sold-out four-date showcase at Madison Square Garden — will continue to tweak their sound. But as they add to their following and their profile increases, they won't bow to the pressure to transform into a mainstream act.

"In our genre, we're either Bachata, strictly, or you're something else that has nothing to do with Bachata, so it's tough to mix that," he explained. "Because people could easily say we're trying to sell out. That's why I always promised myself — there's a saying, never say never — but I believe that I'm never gonna do a complete crossover album. If anything, I'll continue to add new things to my production — maybe keep it 50/50, you know, Bachata, which is what people accept us for and maybe some urban music, maybe some English songs, but not a complete English album."

Who else would you like Aventura to collaborate with in the studio? Would you want to hear an English-language album from the guys? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com!

• Aventura
• Wyclef Jean
• Akon

Akon speaks at a press event for "We Are The World"
Photo: MTV News

A number of today's biggest stars gathered on Monday night to record "We Are the World — 25 for Haiti," the classic 1985 charity single re-imagined as a benefit for earthquake relief. Though song co-writer Michael Jackson passed away last summer, his presence was most definitely felt in the studio, where fellow co-writer Lionel Richie and producer Quincy Jones had assembled more than 80 singers, rappers and actors for the new version.

To make sure that listeners feel his presence too, Janet Jackson will be representing her brother in the new recording. "She's doing Michael's part in the middle the same part Michael did," Jones told the press. "She's representing Michael."

Many of those involved on Monday said MJ's part in the original will always remain their favorite. "My favorite part of the song — it would be the bridge [when Michael comes in]," said Mya, who hinted that Jackson's voice might make it onto this version too. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to share. ... We do hope [to have Michael's voice on the track]."

"I was not born yet, but the song has had a huge impact on me," Jordin Sparks said. "And I've always loved Michael's love for the world and for the Earth and for other people and to help and give back."

	"We Are The World" Recording Session

Celine Dion, who paid tribute to Jackson at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, noted that by re-recording the song, they are not only helping the people of Haiti but also remembering the passion Jackson had for helping those in need. "In a way it was because of him I learned English. I had my posters in my bedroom when I was a young, young kid," she recalled. "The atmosphere [in the studio] is amazing. People are very touched to be there. We're talking about somebody who was living through music and his passion was to try to help and change the world through his lyrics and what he was doing."

Akon, who worked on music with Jackson before his death, fondly remembered stories Jackson told him about working on the original "We Are the World." "The wild part about it, Michael used to tell me stories about making the 'WATW' song and then working with Lionel," he said. "I never thought I'd be in a position to be remaking it and actually be able to tell the story myself one day."

Richie and Jones were quick to point out that if Jackson were still alive, he'd want to be just as involved with the song as he was 25 years ago, though maybe in a different role. "I know it's hard to believe, but if Michael were, alive he'd stand behind the scenes," Richie said.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

• Behind The Scenes Of 'We Are The World'

• 'We Are The World 25 For Haiti' Recording Session

• Michael Jackson
• Akon

Wango Tango 2010

• Justin Bieber
• Ke$ha
• Usher
• Adam Lambert
• Akon

Lady Gaga, Perez Hilton, Kristin Cavallari Hit Up The 2009 Video Music Awards Afterparties

• Lady Gaga
• Katy Perry
• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Diddy
• Akon

Keri Hilson Hosts Her 'In A Perfect World' Album Release Party

• Keri Hilson
• Akon
• Red Cafe
• Joe Budden

MTV.com Exclusive: Akon

• Akon

Lil Wayne's Pre-Grammy Party

• Lil Wayne
• Good Charlotte
• Akon

2009 Grammy Weekend Parties

• Lil Wayne
• Rihanna
• Akon
• T.I.
• Cassie

On The Set Of DJ Drama's "Daydreamin' " Video Shoot

• DJ Drama
• T.I.
• Akon
• Snoop Dogg

T.I., Nas, Common, More At BET Inaugural Ball

• Common
• Nas
• T.I.
• Young Jeezy
• Nick Cannon

Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, More On The 2008 American Music Awards Red Carpet

• Miley Cyrus
• Jonas Brothers
• Ashley Tisdale
• Akon
• Christina Aguilera

Kanye West, Alicia Keys & More Heat Up Hot 97 Summer Jam In New Jersey

• Kanye West
• Alicia Keys
• Flavor Flav
• Lil Wayne
• T-Pain